Name:
Avondle Louis “Curley” Willhite
Rank:
Staff Sergeant
Serial Number:
39534055
Unit:
510th Bomber Squadron, 351st Bomb Group, Heavy
Date of Death:
1944-05-27
State:
California
Cemetery:
Lorraine American Cemetery, St Avold, France
Plot:
E
Row:
33
Grave:
26
Decoration:
Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, Purple Heart
Comments:
Machine gunner of the B-17 “Queen of the Air” , serial number 42-31975, that took off from Station 110 Polebrook in Northamptonshire in the UK at 8am on 27 May 1944. Shot down by an ME 109 German fighter at 12:30. Willhite was killed along with 7 of his crewmembers. 2 successfully bailed out and survived.